Join the Conversation

Doctor: Wilbanks' death unpreventable, freak occurrence

Jackson Prep football player Walker Wilbanks died from a severe sodium deficiency known as hyponatremia. The lack of sodium caused water to leak into his brain, says Dr. Joe Pressler.
Dustin Barnes/The Clarion-Ledger

Jackson Prep football player Walker Wilbanks died from a severe loss of sodium that caused water to build up on his brain, his doctor said late Monday.

Joe Pressler, the high school junior's lead physician at University of Mississippi Medical Center, said the sodium-water imbalance caused Wilbanks' brain to swell, which led to his death. Pressler said Wilbanks died at 12:42 p.m. Monday

The loss of sodium was caused by Wilbanks' sweating during the game. He lost more sodium than was being replenished as the player tried to rehydrate on the sidelines. As the sodium levels dropped, water shifted from Wilbanks' blood to his brain.

Pressler repeatedly called Wilbanks' death a "fluke" and a "freak" occurrence that could not have been prevented. He also said the player and coaches did everything correctly as they dealt with Wilbanks' apparent overheating during the game.

The physician discussed the case at a Monday night press conference at the hospital. Pressler said he spoke to the media because Wilbanks' family did not want misinformation to prevent parents from letting their children participate in sporting activities or to change their approach to dealing with heat and exhaustion.

"Please don't overreact. Don't let this alter the way you prepare for games," he said. "Friday night was an isolated incident. He couldn't have prepared for it. No one could," Pressler said. "... There are times where there are no answers medically, and that's what we're dealing with here."

Wilbanks' parents initially took him to Baptist Medical Center Friday night. Pressler said there was "probably not much" Baptist could have done to save WIlbanks. The doctor said moving the student to UMMC was an attempt to "exhaust all opportunities."

Pressler also said that doctors are confident "Walker did not feel anything after his brain began to swell in the ER on Friday."

"He did not suffer."

The UMMC physician also sought to dispel the idea that had Wilbanks been taken by ambulance that he would have survived. Pressler said that only blood tests performed at the hospital would have led doctors to the needed course of treatment. He also said that an ambulance would not have been able to give Wilbanks enough sodium to make a difference.

Wilbanks was just a few dozen yards from an ambulance and two medics when school sports medicine personnel decided to send him by personal vehicle to the hospital.

According to school officials, in the second half, Wilbanks came to the sidelines, not feeling well. Wilbanks was taken to the hospital "immediately" after being assessed by Jackson Prep's training staff. Head of School Jason Walton said a doctor examined Wilbanks on the sidelines.

Once he reached the emergency room, Wilbanks began to cramp and vomit, officials said. He had a seizure, and his brain started to swell and was not getting enough oxygen.

During most large high school football games in the metro area, American Medical Response has an ambulance and staff on the ground in case of emergency. AMR Spokesman Jim Pollard said they were present at Friday night's game at Jackson Prep.

"AMR had a paramedic, an EMT, and an ambulance at the game. We were not asked to respond to the patient," Pollard said.

Walton said that's because they felt that the doctor on the sidelines was more able to make the call on what to do with Wilbanks than the AMR crew would have been.

"He was attended to not by an EMT, but by a doctor," Walton said.

When an ambulance crew attends to a patient, they immediately begin medical care on the scene, which can include oxygen, cardiac monitoring and intravenous fluid resuscitation, which continue in the vehicle on the way to the hospital. Pollard would not comment on whether a medic's immediate attention could have been helpful in Wilbanks' case.

Walton said not only the other Prep students, but students from several rival schools have reached out in support and prayer for Wilbanks.

"There have been a couple of things that have put a horse apple in my throat, and seeing the JA cheerleaders in the atrium at Baptist, that was one," Walton said. "They were there for their friend. It didn't matter where he went to school. It's amazing how the divisions fall away."